Reaction motor power plant with auxiliary power producing means



y 1 1961 w. MASNIK ET'AL REACTION MOTOR POWER PLANT WITH AUXILIARY POWERPRODUCING MEANS Filed Nov. 17, 1954 F (/5 L SUPPLY FUEL SUPPLY mwk CFUMP5 19. m n w P M a n a United States Patent 2,992,527 REACTIQN MOTORPOWER PLANT WITH AUX- HJARY POWER PRODUCING MEANS Walter Masnik, PerthAmhoy, and Richard P. Kirkup,

Paclrauack Lake, NJ, assignors to Specialties Development Corporation,Belleville, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 17, 1954, Ser.No. 469,352 4 Claims. (Cl. 60--35.6)

This invention relates to reaction motors such as jet engines and rocketmotors, and, more particularly, to a method of and a system forproducing auxiliary power in connection with such motors.

Heretofore, in the production of auxiliary power for the operation offuel pumps, hydraulic pumps, air compressors, generators and the like,it has been customary to draw the fuel required for the production ofsuch power from an auxiliary supply or from the main fuel supply for theproduction of motive power. In either instance, the fuel used for theproduction of auxiliary power did not contribute to the production ofmotive power along with the main fuel supply, wherefore, in addition tothe main fuel supply necessary for the generation of motive power, suchsystems necessitated the provision of a heavy, space consuming amount ofauxiliary fuel stored together with the main fuel supply or separatelythereof. Another difliculty heretofore inherent in certain types ofreaction motors has been the lack of reliability in starting and insustaining combustion.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome theforegoing difficulties and disadvantages.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary power system for reactionmotors wherein that portion of fuel which is used for the production ofauxiliary power is also employed for the production of motive power.

Another object is to provide a continuous pilot flame to insure ignitionof the main fuel supply in the combustion zone and to minimize thepossibility of flameouts.

Another object is to provide such a system wherein a portion of the fuelsupply is vaporized under pressure, is expanded to provide auxiliarypower and is burned to provide motive power.

Another object is to provide such a system wherein auxiliary power isgenerated with only a negligible weight and space penalty for fueltherefor.

A further object is to provide such a system which is simple and compactin construction and efficient and reliable in operation. 7

A still further object is to provide a method of producing suchauxiliary power for a reaction motor.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description and are shown in the accompanying drawing,forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention, and

FIG. 2 is a schematic View of a system illustrating another embodimentof the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIG. 1thereof, there is shown a reaction motor 10 of the ram jet typeincluding a combustion zone 11 and conventional fuel injectors 12 forthe delivery of fuel to the combustion zone. The fuel is pumped to theinjectors from a receptacle or tank 14 through a main fuel supplyconduit 15 by a pump 16.

The auxiliary power system comprises a source of fuel such as a tank 14,a fuel pump 17 provided with a return flow line 18, a speed controlmechanism 20, a heat exchanger 21 and a turbine 24.

The speed control 20 may be any conventional apparatus for controllingthe flow of fuel through the conduit 19 to maintain the desired turbinespeed, and in this embodiment of the invention, the heat exchanger 21consists of a coiled conduit disposed within the combustion zone 11.

In operation, fuel is delivered from the tank 14 through the conduit 15and the injectors 12 into the combustion zone 11 where it is burned toprovide motive power in the usual manner.

In accordance with the invention, fuel from the tank 14 is alsoconducted by the conduits 15 and 19 to the pump 17, where it is placedunder a desired head of pressure, through the speed control mechanism 20and to the heat exchanger 21 in the combustion zone 11 where sufficientheat is absorbed to vaporize the fuel. In its vaporized state, the fuelis then delivered to the turbine 24 by the conduit 22. The vaporized,pressurized fuel is expanded in the turbine to operate the same toproduce auxiliary power and is then delivered, still in its vaporizedstate, through the conduit 25, to the combustion zone 11 where it isburned to provide motive power and to supply heat to the heat exchanger21.

The return flow line 18 serves to return a portion of the fuel from thedownstream side of the pump 17 to the supply side thereof in case thepump delivers more fuel than the speed control 20 allows to pass.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated a systemsimilar to that of FIG. 1, except that the heat for effectingvaporization is not derived from the combustion zone 11.

The pump 16 delivers fuel from the tank 14 through the conduit 15 to theinjectors 12 and the auxiliary pump 17 delivers fuel from the conduit 15through the connecting conduit 19, the speed control 20, the heatexchanger 21, the conduit 22 and the turbine 24, and the conduit 25 tothe combustion zone 11. The pump 17 is provided with a return flow line,as described heretofore.

The heat required to efiect vaporization of the fuel is supplied to theheat exchanger 21 through a conduit 26 connecting the same with adecomposition chamber 27 which in turn is connected by a valved conduit29 to a pressurized secondary fuel receptacle 30 for containing asuitable mono-propellant fuel.

In operation, fuel is supplied to the injectors 12 in the usual manner,and fuel from the same source is also pressurized by the pump 17 andvaporized in the heat exchanger 21, expanded in the turbine 24 anddelivered to the combustion zone 11 where it is burned to provide motivepower. In the present embodiment, heat for eifecting vaporization of thefuel is provided by permitting the pressurizedmono-propellant fuel toflow from the receptacle 30 through the valved conduit 29 to the chamber27 Where it is decomposed to generate heat. The hot products ofdecomposition are then delivered through the conduit 26 to the heatexchanger 21, to vaporize the fuel to be supplied to the turbine 24, andthence through a conduit 31 to the combustion zone where they are burnedto provide motive power.

In order to start the unit illustrated in FIG. 1, a portable heater maybe inserted into the combustion zone 11 to provide heat for thevaporization of the fuel in the heat exchanger and the auxiliary devicessuch as the pump 17 may be temporarily operated by external power. Assoon as suflicient fuel is vaporized to operate the turbine 24, theportable heater and the external power supply may be removed.Alternatively, a supply of pressurized, burnable gas may be injectedinto the conduit 22 to operate the turbine 24. The discharge of such gasinto the combustion zone 11 may be ignited to provide heat for thevaporization of suflicient fuel to operate the turbine, whereupon thesupply of pressurized burnable gas may be removed.

To start the unit illustrated in FIG. 2, it is merely necessary toprovide a temporary source of external power for operation of the fuelpump 17 while decomposition of the secondary fuel is commenced byallowing the same to flow into the chamber '27 and heating the chamber,or by providing a suitable catalyst therein to promote decomposition ofthe fuel. The external power for the pump 17 may be removed when theturbine is in operation and providing auxiliary power and the externalheat or the catalyst may be removed when the decomposition becomesself-sustaining.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a simple and compact auxiliary power system forreaction motors which is efficient and reliable in operation and whereinthat portion of the fuel which is used to provide auxiliary power isalso used to supply motive power with only a negligible weight and spacepenalty therefor. It will also be seen that the present inventionprovides a pilot flame to insure ignition of the main fuel supply and tominimize the possibility of flame-outs.

In addition to providing auxiliary power, the present system may be usedas a starter. For example, where the reaction motor is of the turbo-jettype, the turbine may be employed to drive the main air compressor untilsufficient air is provided in the combustion zone to support combustionof the main fuel supply after which the turbine may be disengaged fromthe compressor.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not many limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a power plant, the combination of a source of liquid fuel, areaction motor having a combustion zone wherein liquid fuel is burned,means for delivering a major portion of the fuel from said source tosaid motor and injecting the same into said zone wherein it is ignitedto provide motive power, fuel throttling means, means for pressurizing aminor portion of the fuel and conducting the same from said source tosaid throttling means, means connected to said throttling means forvaporizing the throttled fuel, auxiliary power producing means connectedto said vaporizing means to be driven by the expansion of the vaporizedfuel, said throttling means being operated by said auxiliary powermeans, and means for conducting the expanded vaporized fuel from saidpower producing means to said motor and injecting the same into saidzone concurrently with the first mentioned injected fuel and into thepath thereof wherein it is ignited to provide additional motive powerand a pilot flame for the first mentioned injected fuel.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fuel vaporizing meansincludes a second source of fuel, means for decomposing fuel from saidsecond source to produce heat, heat exchanger means for transferringheat from the decomposed fuel to said minor portion of the fuel fromsaid first source, and means for conducting the products ofdecomposition of the second fuel from said heat exchanger means andinjecting the same into said zone to provide additional motive power.

3. In a power plant, the combination of a source of liquid fuel, areaction motor having a combustion zone wherein liquid fuel is burned,means for delivering a major portion of the fuel from said source tosaid motor and injecting the same into said zone wherein it is ignitedto provide motive power, means for withdrawing a minor portion of thefuel from said source and pressurizing the same, means in fluid flowcommunication with said pressurizing means for throttling thepressurized fuel, means in fluid flow communication with said throttlingmeans for vaporizing the throttled fuel, auxiliary power produc ingmeans in fluid flow communication with said vapon'z ing means and drivenby the expansion of the vaporized fuel, said pressurizing means and saidthrottling means being operated by said auxiliary power means, and meansfor conducting the expanded vaporized fuel from said auxiliary powermeans to said motor and injecting the same into said zone concurrentlywith the first mentioned injected fuel and into the path thereof whereinit is ignited to provide additional motive power and a pilot flame forthe first mentioned injected fuel, said vaporizing means beingpositioned to receive heat from the combustion of said vaporized fuel.

4. In a power plant, the combination of a source of liquid fuel; areaction motor having a combustion zone wherein liquid fuel is burned;means for delivering a major portion of the fuel from said source tosaid motor and injecting the same into said zone wherein it is ignitedto provide motive power; fuel vaporizing means; means for delivering aminor portion of the fuel from said source to said vaporizing means;auxiliary power producing means connected to said vaporizing means to bedriven by the expansion of the vaporized fuel; and means for conductingthe expanded vaporized fuel from said power producing means to saidmotor and injecting the same into said zone concurrently with the firstmentioned injected fuel and into the path thereof wherein it is ignitedto provide additional motive power and a pilot flame for the firstmentioned injected fuel, said fuel vaporizing means including a secondsource of fuel, means for decomposing fuel from said second source toproduce heat, heat exchanger means for transferring heat from thedecomposed fuel to said minor portion of the fuel from said firstsource, and means for conducting the products of decomposition of thesecond fuel from said heat exchanger means and injecting the same intosaid zone to provide additional motive power.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

